Penultimate Ten Minutes
by Curiositykils
Summary: The penultimate ten minutes of Draco and Hermione's story. Prequel to Ultimate Ten Lifetimes. Nominated at Dramione Awards Round 6 2010 in Best Heart-Wrenching/Angst category. Complete.


_I own neither Draco nor Hermione. __**Sequel now up! It's called Ultimate Ten Lifetimes**_

ooo

Hermione took in a deep breath. This was it. It had been a month since she last saw him and this time would be the last time she would ever see him again.

"Miss Granger?" said the burly guard next to her. She looked over at him briefly before simply nodding her head to show she was ready. The guard opened the door and she walked in.

Draco's head lifted as he heard the door screech open and his face betrayed his surprise before he quickly masked it.

He had to do this and he had to do this well.

Hermione saw him sitting in the middle of the room. There was another chair on the other side of a small table which she guessed was for her. She moved to it quickly, keeping her eyes on the floor.

"Shout when you're done Miss. You have ten minutes." Hermione flashed the guard a tight smile before he shut the door with a loud clang.

It was just the two of them. Neither spoke.

Hermione couldn't bring herself to look into his handsome face but she could feel his burning gaze on hers.

"And what brings you here Mudblood?" Draco spoke. Hermione lifted her head in surprise at his words. "Fifteen years of solitary confinement in Azkaban isn't enough…they have to torture me by making it so the last face I see is of the number one Mudblood?"

Hermione felt the last month's suppressed anger fill her. "Stop it."

"Stop what?" Draco countered innocently.

Hermione said nothing in response. She wouldn't play his games.

She couldn't believe this was happening. The last 6 months of her life couldn't have been a lie.

"Why?" she asked him softly, hating that her voice broke at the end of the word.

Draco looked at her contemplatively before raising his eyebrows and answering. "Why not?"

Hermione looked at him sharply. "Don't give me your bullshit Malfoy. Tell me…after everything, I deserve to know the answer."

Draco scoffed. "You don't deserve anything Mudblood."

"_Stop_ it." Hermione said for the second time.

Silence filled the room again.

Hermione took deep breaths through her nose to calm and centre herself, her eyes lowered to the clasped hands in her lap.

Draco took the time to sweep his eyes greedily over the planes of her face and body. He wanted to burn the image of her into his brain and keep it locked there forever. Seeing her like this made him want to sweep her up into his arms and whisper words of forgiveness into her ear. He steeled himself. He was doing this for her own good.

He wet his dry mouth with his tongue, preparing himself to say the words he was about to utter.

"I'm surprised the Weasel allowed you to come and see me today. I am of course assuming that you and the blood-traitor have shacked up together." He saw Hermione grit her teeth, causing her jaw to clench. Good, he was getting to her. "It's only right after all. Blood traitors and Mudbloods together. At least that way they can't contaminate Pureblood lines. Does he know you're spoiled goods?"

Hermione ignored him as best she could. She knew what he was doing. Trying to make her so angry that she would eventually give up and leave. After six months together, her heart broke further at the fact he knew nothing about her. She wasn't one to give up so easily.

"Tell me why." She repeated.

"No."

Her eyes flew up to meet his, strong willed.

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes Malfoy." She banged her hands on the table between them.

"NO" he yelled.

"TELL ME!"

"FINE!" Draco shouted. "YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY? I'll tell you. You were my back up plan Mudblood. If Pot-head won against Voldemort I could use you as my back-up plan to ensure my safety and freedom."

Hermione's eyes glassed over. She'd heard the same words over and over again by the voice in her head but she refused to believe them. Now, hearing the words come from his mouth, it didn't seem like she had any other choice and yet there was still that little slither of doubt telling her that he was lying.

"I don't believe you…You're not that good an actor Malfoy."

Draco sneered at her. "Aren't I? I managed to push the bile down my throat every time I forced myself to touch your dirty skin…kiss your muddy lips."

_He was lying!_ "Then why make love to me?" Hermione asked desperately.

"It wasn't love Mudblood. It was sex. Plain sex. It was my chance to knock the fucking pristine halo of your bloody head."

Draco looked into her teary eyes as she looked into his, shocked. He willed her to believe him.

Silence filled the room once again.

"Why are you here?" Draco knew he shouldn't have asked the question but he had to know. Had to hear her say the words one last time.

"You're going to Azkaban for fifteen years Malfoy. Someone should be here…" Hermione whispered.

His heart soared but he kept the clamp tightly wrapped over it. "What? And you thought you should be the one? I'm not one of your lost causes Granger. Where are my _dear_ parents anyway?"

Hermione's head flew up at his question. She froze. He didn't know? Oh Merlin, her eyes started to fill up with tears again. How do you tell someone who's about to go to prison that his father resisted arrest and was killed by Auror's whilst his mother had killed herself in a holding centre just two miles away from here? She couldn't. She couldn't let him go to Azkaban knowing he had no-one left. She swallowed the lump in her throat.

"They're awaiting trial. They're being held in a holding centre."

Draco knew she was lying. Silly witch still showed her feelings all over her face, despite him spending many evenings teaching her to lie better. He wondered briefly on what his mother was going through. Was she too destined for an Azkaban cell? Or would she be let off?

"Two minutes," came a gruff voice from the door. Hermione's head snapped toward the sound and dread started filling her body. Oh Merlin, please no.

Draco heard the words and smiled. Two minutes before he was carted off. Two minutes left to gaze at the beauty in front of him. He knew her well. What he'd said over the last eight minutes wasn't nearly enough for her to forget about him and move on with her life.

"All those nights lying in bed next to you whilst you foolishly slept. I should have killed you when I had the chance."

And that was it. He saw something in her eyes shatter. He'd broken her. He should have felt relief but he didn't; his mind was greedily willing her to see through his words.

"If I'd killed you, then you wouldn't have discovered the identity of the last Horcrux. The Dark Lord would have won and I wouldn't be sitting here. You're the reason I'm stuck here. You're the reason why I was discovered during battle."

Hermione closed her eyes as her mind flashed back to when she had shot a spell at a nearby Death Eater and his mask had fallen off to reveal Draco's face.

"And you think that I what? Care for you? Love you? Give a Hippogriff's fuck about you? I hate you Granger. I always have done and I always will do."

The door clanged open and the guard stepped inside. "Time's up."

Hermione felt her throat tighten as she forced the sobs and cries to remain contained there. She lifted her head to look at Draco one last time but he wasn't looking at her. He was getting up from his chair.

Three steps later and he was next to the guard being steered out of the room.

"Wait." Came her strangled voice. Draco turned his head a fraction in her direction, enough to catch one last glimpse of her.

"Why? There's nothing for me to wait for." He said before walking out.

Once outside he breathed in deeply. He had done it. The tears he'd held captive began to slip out of his eyes and he wiped them away quickly. He heard a loud sob and felt his heart shatter.

_Please don't cry for me. I love you._

Back inside the room Hermione finally broke down, loud sobs tearing out of her body.

_I love you Draco Malfoy._

ooo

**Two Months Ago**

Draco looked at the sleeping bundle in his arms. He felt a wave of fierce protectiveness wash over him. Merlin, if anyone dared harm her there would be hell to pay. He moved his hand to shift the curls that had fallen on her face. In the process, the moonlight reflected the Dark Mark on his pale arm and he froze.

The ugly brand had been burning more frequently over the last few days. He knew Voldemort was getting restless. The war was going to come sooner rather than later.

Draco's mind flashed back to when he had taken the mark. The pain had nearly caused him to pass out but he had gritted his teeth to stop from screaming and bore through it. At that time he'd given his word to serve the Dark Lord blindly.

Looking back down at the sleeping Hermione he knew that his whole life now centred on keeping her safe. When the time came, he planned to go into battle in his Death Eater robes and hex any other who intended to cause her hurt. If the war was won he would finally be able to be with her freely. If the war was lost, he being in his Death Eater robes would be seen to be on the winning side. It would enable him to take her as a victory trophy and keep her safe.

He knew he didn't deserve her. Spending the rest of her life with him would mean life opportunities that would otherwise have been wide open for her would be shut. But he was gluttonous. He needed her with him. She kept him sane.

He felt her stir in his arms and shift her body closer to the warmth emitting from his. His arm quickly moved the offending hair behind her ear before he wrapped it around her waist.

He closed his eyes and told himself to stop worrying. There was still a few days left before the war and even after it was won or lost, they still had the rest of their lives together.

ooo

_Author's Note: So I randomly thought about this in bed last night and seeing how I have today free I thought I might as well write it and get it out of my head. I know it sad but I'd love to hear what you thought of it. Thank you for reading and if you have any questions feel free to ask!_


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